Lock No. 1

Carolina (minus-6) 31, NEW ORLEANS 20: If all we knew about the Saints was what they did this season we’d consider them a poorly coached bottom feeder. But we remember how good they were when quarterback Drew Brees ran the team’s fastbreak offense as if he were a point guard.

The Saints have lost their past two games by a combined score of 72-20, on the road to Houston and then Washington.

I think for old time’s sake, the Saints have moments on Sunday. But they can’t stop an adult team from moving the ball, and that’s unlikely to change.

Lock No. 2

Arizona (minus-6) 29, ST. LOUIS 20: I’m not going to finish my season with more Lock losses than victories. There’s something wrong with the Rams. Maybe they’re mad they didn’t get to move to Los Angeles. You already have two teams in California with terrible stadiums – the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers – owned by longtime NFL families. Why should the Rams get to skip out on their loyal (when they have a reason to be) fans? The Cardinals lose Chris Johnson, the league’s eighth leading rusher. But they have enough in reserve to win this one handily.

Washington hasn’t won a road game for, like, 10 years. But it has won five straight at home. The Cowboys are much more effective going at each other on the bench than at opponents on the field. They can’t even pretend they like each other. Coaches have lost control. They’re like the Miami Dolphins West.

Read Next

Duke will enter the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 overall seed Friday still trying to figure out exactly what it is and who it wants to be, and while for some teams that might be a fatal flaw, it hasn’t been for Duke.